Ergonomic Products For Preventing Injury In The Workplace

8 Ergonomic Products That Will Transform The Way You Work

Computers have helped to revolutionize the way work gets done, but unfortunately that means most of us are glued in front of one for the majority of the week. Sitting in front of a monitor is the position we maintain most of the day, yet often we don't pay enough attention to how our posture and movements may be affecting our body.

If you experience tension while you work, whether it be in your neck, wrists, elbows, shoulders, lower back etc., don't let it go unchecked. What starts out as a minor annoyance can, over time, become a repetitive strain injury (RSI) that requires physical therapy or even surgery.

If you experience some kind of work-related physical strain from using your computer, try to figure out what’s causing tension, or, if your company provides it, get a proper ergonomic assessment of your work space. Another proven way to reduce the risk of RSIs at work is frequent exercise (which also happens to be good for just about everything else too).

There are adjustments you can make and ergonomic computer accessories that can help put your body in the ideal position for work at a computer desk. And if you think ergonomic accessories are frivolous or embarrassing, consider how much more embarrassing it would be to lose your livelihood due to an easily-avoidable injury.

Just as a primer, here is the recommended posture for working on a computer at a desk:

Kinesis Advantage Keyboard

If you're experiencing tension in your wrists and hands, it's probably due to the way you type and the position you hold your hands in when you type. This type of tension will often travel up the arm to the elbow and shoulders, so it's important to stop it at the source. Especially because if left unchecked, this type of strain can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, a compression of nerves in the tendons of the wrist that can be both painful and debilitating. It's common for coders, bloggers, telemarketers and anyone who's constantly typing to experience this type of strain.

As far as prevention goes, an increasingly popular ergonomic keyboard it the Kinesis Advantage pictured above. It supports your wrists so that your forearms are at a 90 degree angle with your upper arm and the keys sit in curved wells, which reduces the need to pivot with your wrists to reach different keys. It's not cheap, but what it may save you in physical therapy bills is worth considering.

Goldtouch Go!2 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard

Another popular ergonomic keyboard is the Goldtouch wireless keyboard. It is a split keyboard design, which allows your hands to rest in a more natural V-shape. The angle of the keyboard can be adjusted up or down depending on what feels best. It's cord-free, compact (it can be folded in half) and wireless, which makes it a great option for freelancers, consultants or anyone who needs to take their work on the go.

Anker Wireless Vertical Mouse

The idea behind vertical mice is that they put the arm in a more natural "handshake" position. According to proponents of the vertical mouse, a regular mouse causes the "ulna" and "radius" bones in the arm to cross over each other, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and other repetitive strain injuries. As for this particular mouse, not only is Anker a popular name in the ergonomic world, but they recently came up in this Reddit thread about companies that have "an amazing product/service but is still rather unknown":

The Roost Laptop Stand

The unfortunate truth about laptops is that, despite the name, the last place it should be sitting when you use it is in your lap. Not only is using your laptop on your lap bad for your neck, but there have been studies suggesting that it can fry your sperm as well...

The idea behind a laptop stand is that it elevates your screen to eye level, so you're not craning your neck to look down at it. Between hunching over our laptops and "text neck", we put a lot of pressure and strain on our spine and neck, so it's worth it to find healthier ways of interacting with screens.

"The Roost" laptop stand pictured above can be adjusted to different heights and fits multiple sizes of laptops. It also packs away easily like a tripod if you need to take it with you. If you use a laptop stand, you'll also need a separate keyboard and mouse so you're wrists are not on a crazy upward angle while you're typing.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair

This is the chair that people consistently bring up when talking about comfortable, well-designed, ergonomic office chairs. It supports all the natural curves of your body (including the very-important lumbar) and has a mesh backing to prevent overheating (nothing grosser than a sweaty chair back). It is expensive though, so if you're looking for a cheaper option, the IKEA Markus chair is commonly suggested as an alternative. If you don't want to spend the money on a new chair, but are experiencing pain in your shoulders that you think might stem from your chair, try removing the arm rests. Arm rests at the wrong height can force your shoulders into an unnatural position and really throw them out of whack.

Fellowes Foot Stand

Foot rests are important if you're on the shorter side and the height of your chair doesn't allow you to place your feet on the floor. They also help to reduce pressure on your hips and legs and can improve your posture.

F.lux

If you're not already using f.lux, I can not stress enough the difference it will make. The free-to-download software adjusts the light emitted by your screen to adapt to the time of day. During the day, it mimics natural sunlight and in the night it switches to a warmer, darker glow. Not only does it decrease eye strain and headaches from staring at your screen too long, but, in the inevitable scenario that you're on your computer late at night, the warm glow makes it easier to transition into sleep once you finally log off for the evening. F.lux doesn't have a mobile version, but you can download Twilight for the same effect on your phone.